Any unvaccinated NBA player with temporary visa status leaving the country will not be able to return to the United States, according to a memo obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Tuesday.
For example, a player who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be able to return to the United States after playing in Canada. The same applies if an unvaccinated player travels outside of the United States during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The NBA notified teams on Tuesday that unvaccinated players will no longer be allowed to travel to Toronto to play games starting January 15, according to the memo. Teams were instructed to distribute the memo to all players by Friday.
New Canadian law requires all travelers entering that country to be vaccinated.
By law, anyone who meets the criteria for limited exceptions will be allowed to enter Canada but will have to quarantine there for 14 days.
The memo said teams must provide the federation office with a list of unvaccinated players by Friday. The NBA says 97 percent of its players have been vaccinated, and sources told ESPN that more than 60 percent have been vaccinated.
